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A White sign-language interpreter says he was fired from “The Lion King” on Broadway because he is white.
https://twitter.com/JamesBradleyCA/status/1591767764066533376?s=20&t=Gi5f6EhuMO8hCY-OagMzAg
The group decided that it was “no longer appropriate to have white interpreters represent black characters for ASL Broadway shows.”
Wann filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the organization and the director of its accessibility programs, Lisa Carling.
https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/1591855443051417601?s=20&t=Gi5f6EhuMO8hCY-OagMzAg
“To me, just seeing that discrimination, it doesn’t matter if I’m white or black, This is blatant and I would just hope that other people who have also experienced this would step forward.” – Keith Wann
When he was asked to leave the production the email citied “the current social climate”
“With great embarrassment and apologies, I’m asking you both to please back out of interpreting the show for us on Sunday, April 24, I don’t see any other way out of this. It seems like the best solution.” – Carling
Welcome to the club.
— Theo Nlyone (@NlyoneTheo) November 13, 2022
Shelly Guy, the director of ASL for “The Lion King,” called for Carling to get rid of all non-black interpreters, according to another email obtained by The Post and cited in the suit.
“The majority of the characters in the Lion King are black actors and the content takes place in Africa,” – Guy
“Keith Wann, though an amazing ASL performer, is not a black person and therefore should not be representing Lion King,” – Guy
BREAKING REPORT: Sign language interpreter Keith Wann sues Lion King on Broadway after director FIRED HIM AND TOLD HIM IT'S 'NO LONGER APPROPRIATE to have white interpreters represent black characters'…
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) November 13, 2022
